Why Leighten Meester Almost Didn't Play Blair

Leighton Meester's Hair Almost Stopped Her From Playing Blair Waldorf

People say that Leighton Meester was the only person meant to play Blair Waldorf — and, while that may be true, it wasn't the role she originally wanted. As it turns out, Meester auditioned for another character on Gossip Girl that would most definitely have changed the course of the show's history.

It's hard to imagine, considering the actress played Waldorf — in all her Chanel headband-wearing, Fifth Avenue penthouse-living glory — perfectly, captivating audiences for years. But, in the same way Ed Westwick read for the Nate Archibald character before playing Chuck Bass, according to Vanity Fair, Meester auditioned to play the role of Serena van der Woodsen. (Blake Lively, in case you somehow forgot, eventually landed the gig.)

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Lucky, after reading for the initial role, Meester felt a stronger connection to Blair (natch). So to convince the producers she deserved the spot, she did something drastic — and it involved a little hair dye. GG co-creator, Josh Schwartz, told Vanity Fair that Meester proved her determination to play Waldorf: “She came in and she was really funny, and really smart and played vulnerable," he said. "But there was one problem: she was blonde. And Blake was blonde, obviously; Serena had to be blonde. So, [Leighton] went to the sink and dyed her hair. She wanted it."

Waldorf once said, "Destiny is for losers. It's just a stupid excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen." It sounds like Meester knew this even before her Louboutins hit the Upper East Side pavement — and we are pretty damn glad she did.